WikiLeaks: U.S. invited attacks

WikiLeaks is under fire for tweeting that the U.S. gave “tacit approval” for the attacks against U.S. missions in Libya and Egypt because it accepts a “siege” on the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has sought refuge.

The whistle-blower website tweeted Wednesday night, “By the US accepting the UK siege on the Ecuadorian embassy in London it gave tacit approval for attacks on embassies around the world,” according to The Guardian, which notes that the Twitter account is “generally presumed” to be run by Assange.

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The tweet was immediately deleted and clarified:

By the US accepting the UK threat to storm the Ecuadorian embassy in London it helped to normalize attacks on embassies.— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) September 12, 2012

By the UK threatening to breach the Ecuadorian embassy in London it helped to normalize attacks on embassies, in general. It must retract.— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) September 12, 2012

We have deleted and rephrased a previous tweet with the word ‘tacit’ in it, since the word is rare and was being misinterpreted.— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) September 12, 2012

Merriam-Webster defines “tacit,” a word in common use, as meaning “implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed.”

Assange, who is wanted on sex-related charges in Sweden, avoided deportation from England by entering the Ecuadorian Embassy in June; he has lived there since and was granted asylum last month. British authorities increased the police presence outside the embassy last month, and threatened to “use a rarely cited law to withdraw its diplomatic protection,” the Telegraph reported.